BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  Samford junior forward Sam De Luca scored three goals and dished out one assist to lead the Bulldog soccer team to a 4-2 win over VMI Friday at Shauna Yelton Field.
 
With the win Samford is now 7-2-5 overall and 4-0-2 in Southern Conference play. VMI fell to 1-13-1 overall and 0-6 in league play.
 
"I was pretty disappointed in the first half," Samford head coach Todd Yelton said. "Fair play to VMI, they battled and got the two goals to draw level. But, to come out and get an early goal there (in the second half) with Mamie was a big deal. And then Sam was pretty impressive with a hat trick today. She'd done very, very well."
 
De Luca's hat trick was the first for a Samford player since Kyla Reynolds scored three goals in a 6-1 win over Mercer in the SoCon Tournament on April 9, 2021. De Luca now has 11 goals on the season which are the most for a Samford player since 2017 when Jermaine Seoposenwe scored 13 goals. The school record for goals scored in a season is 16 by Seoposenwe in 2016.
 
In addition to De Luca's three goals and one assist, Mamie Carman had a goal and an assist for the game. Sarah Holland, Caroline Smith and Becca Koenig had an assist each in the win for the Bulldogs. Samford goalkeeper Peyton Hull had two saves in the contest.
 
For VMI, Mackenzie Hobik and Rachel Baez had one goal each, while Gianna De Cicco had one assist for the Keydets. VMI goalkeeper Maren Ryberg saved 11 shots in the game.
 
Samford got the scoring started in the sixth minute when De Luca scored off an assist from Holland. De Luca netted her second goal in the 17th minute off an assist from Carman to push the Samford lead to 2-0.
 
VMI's Baez scored off an assist from De Cicco in the 26^th minute to cut the lead to 2-1. Hobik scored an unassisted goal in the 28th minute as the teams went to the locker room at halftime knotted at 2-2.
 
Samford took the lead for good in the 53rd minute when Carman scored off assists from De Luca and Smith for a 3-2 Bulldog lead. De Luca scored her third goal of the contest off an assist from Koenig in the 65th minute to make the final score 4-2.
 
Next up, Samford will play at Mercer on Oct. 16. The game is set for a 6 p.m. (CT) start from Macon, Ga.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
SAM: 6^th minute, Sam De Luca goal off assist from Sarah Holland
SAM: 17^th minute, Sam De Luca goal off assist from Mamie Carman
VMI: 26th minute, Rachel Baez goal off assist from Gianna De Cicco
VMI: 28th minute, Mackenzie Hobik goal unassisted
SAM: 53rd minute, Mamie Carman goal off assists from Sam De Luca and Caroline Smith
SAM: 65^th minute, Sam De Luca goal off assist from Becca Koenig


 
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